LANCASTER —Officials from the City of Lancaster, California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) on Wednesday commemorated the recent opening of the new Avenue I/State Route 14 interchange.

“With The BLVD transformation downtown, as well as the addition of new hotels and entertainment venues along the Front Row Center complex near Lancaster Municipal Stadium, the need for an improved freeway interchange at Avenue I became very apparent,” said Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris in a city news release. “This new interchange paves the way for continued development in these areas.”

The 14-month construction project increased the capacity of the interchange, solved previous safety and visibility concerns, and provided easier access to popular destinations.

The newly designed interchange includes an artistic poppy motif for local flair.

“To enhance mobility for commuters, reduce congestion and improve air quality for the residents of the Antelope Valley, Metro has committed over $5 million to the SR-14/Avenue I interchange,” said Los Angeles County Supervisor and Metro Board Chair Michael D. Antonovich.

A collaborative effort between the Los Angeles County Metro, the City of Lancaster, and Caltrans, the $12 million project involved the widening of Avenue I to three lanes in each direction, while providing dual left turn lanes onto State Route 14 from both the eastbound and westbound directions.

The project also replaced the problematic stop-sign controlled southbound off ramp with a new loop ramp which now intersects with Avenue I at 23rd Street West.

“The City of Lancaster is experiencing tremendous growth in population and in the movement of goods, so Caltrans and its partners have designed an interchange that accommodates this growth, enhances safety and improves mobility to improve access to State Route 14 at Avenue I and to the surrounding communities of the Antelope Valley,” said Michael Miles, District 7 Director for Caltrans.